


Let Me Give You A Tip

by ho_sehun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:25:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ho_sehun/pseuds/ho_sehun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boy pushed two cups into his hands and nodded at the tip jar set off to the side. It had read 'Looking: 1000 won; Talking 5000 won.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Give You A Tip

To tell the truth, Chanyeol doesn't even really like coffee. That doesn't stop him from visiting EXO, the coffee shop near the music store where he works, at least three times a week, though. They know his name, they know the latte that he always orders to appear inconspicuous, and he's pretty sure that every one of them knows the reason that he shows up almost every work day. Everyone except for the reason that he shows up.  
  
The first time he'd run into EXO, he'd been running late for work and decided to get a coffee to suck up to Suho, his boss. He'd run into the coffee shop, already pulling the money out of his wallet, and he'd only looked up half way through his order to see the prettiest boy that he'd ever seen. He had a bored look on his face, eyeliner that looked better on him than any girl Chanyeol had ever seen, and really pretty pink lips, and Chanyeol had choked off in the middle of ordering.  
  
“Wow, hi,” he'd said, and he'd been answered with a raised eyebrow. “Um. I don't drink coffee much,” he pressed on, because _wow_ , “what do you recommend?”  
  
The boy had leaned forward a little on the counter, and woah his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and man his arms were great.  
  
“There's a lot of kinds of coffee,” he'd said and even his voice was pretty. “You're going to have to give me better than that.”  
  
“Um,” Chanyeol had said again.  
  
“What do you like? Dislike? Deadly allergies?” The eyebrow raised more.  
  
“Oh! Well I like sweet and I don't like,” Chanyeol had scratched the back of his neck, “you're going to laugh, but I don't like coffee.”  
  
He hadn't laughed.  
  
He'd ended up making Suho's black coffee and a hazelnut latte for Chanyeol. As he was paying, Chanyeol had leaned on the counter to put his face level with the boy's. “What's your name?” he'd asked.  
  
The boy pushed two cups into his hands and nodded at the tip jar set off to the side. It had read 'Looking: 1000 won; Talking 5000 won.' Chanyeol hadn't been perturbed, he'd just grinned and stuffed 1000 won in.  
  
“I'll have more next time,” he'd promised with a wink as he pushed his way through the door backwards, and he'd sworn that he saw the boy smile before turning to his next customer.  
  
He'd been 40 minutes late to work.

 

* * *

 

  
Now, Chanyeol walks into the shop after work (having learned after his third morning visit that the boy, Baekhyun, whose name had cost him 5000 won to find out, had only been covering a shift that morning and mostly worked afternoons) and waves hi to Jongin, who is busy wiping down the tables.  
  
“He's in the back,” Jongin says instead of a greeting, and Chanyeol grins, shaking Jongin's shoulder in thanks.  
  
“Baekhyunni!” he calls, leaning far enough onto the counter that his feet rise off of the ground behind him. “I'm home!”  
  
Baekhyun sighs loud enough that Chanyeol can hear him over the Super Junior song playing softly on the radio.  
  
“I've got 5000 won, you have to talk to me!”  
  
Jongin snorts behind him.  
  
Baekhyun comes out of the back room, wiping his hands off with a blank face, but his eyes are smiling.  
  
“Your usual?” he asked as Chanyeol pushes 5000 won into the tip jar.  
  
“I think I'm going to go wild today,” Chanyeol answers, still leaning on the counter enough that he can feel the air move as Baekhyun walks by. He smells like coffee. “One vanilla latte please. Easy on the foam.”  
  
“I'm not going easy on the foam.”  
  
“Will you draw a heart in it?”  
  
Baekhyun doesn't answer, but when he gets his latte, there's a flower drawn in the foam. Good enough.  
  


 

* * *

  
  
On his next work day, Wednesday, Chanyeol comes in all smiles until he sees Wufan (call me Kris, please, just call me Kris. No, really, call me Kris.) standing at the counter, wiping down glasses, and by the time he reaches the counter his face has fallen so dramatically that Wufan, the traitorous coffee shop owner, laughs at him and reaches out to pat him on the head.  
  
“He had to take the day off,” Wufan explains, “family thing.” Chanyeol slumps on the counter and groans.  
  
“He didn't tell me,” Chanyeol whines, pushing his head towards Wufan until he gets the hint and pats his hair again.  
  
Wufan chuckles. “It was sudden, apparently, why else do you think I would be here? I hire people so I don't have to come in.”  
  
“And yet you still do,” Sehun drawls from the corner, where he's filing his nails; Chanyeol hadn't even noticed him.  
  
“I pay you to clean,” Wufan quips.  
  
“Not enough,” Sehun answers, before turning his full attention to his nails again.  
  
Wufan sighs before turning to Chanyeol again, “You getting your usual?”  
  
“You wanna know a secret?” He asks. “I don't come for the coffee.” Sehun rolls his eyes. “I can hear that!” Chanyeol calls over at him. Sehun sputters. Chanyeol pushes some bills across the counter. “I'm buying Baekhyun a drink for when he gets back.”  
  
“You know he gets free drinks, right?”  
  
“Yep!” Chanyeol says, already heading out the door. “Thanks Wufan!”  
  
“It's Kris!” is the last thing he hears before the door closes behind him.

 

* * *

  
  
Friday, Chanyeol practically skips into EXO. He slides up to the counter and doesn't even have time to open his mouth before there's a cup of sweet smelling liquid being pushed under his nose.  
  
“You know I get free drinks, right?” Baekhyun asks trying to sound put off, but he's smiling openly at Chanyeol and Chanyeol takes that as a win.  
  
“I was trying for sweet and romantic,” he answers as he grabs the drink that Baekhyun wiggles under his nose again. “What's this?”  
  
Baekhyun pushes a finger against Chanyeol's forehead. “It's a drink,” he says, “sometimes you get them to, you know, drink.”  
  
Chanyeol gives Baekhyun his widest grin. “I know that,” he says. “But I haven't even ordered one yet. What if I wanted,” he leans back and looks in the fridge cooler below the counter, “that cake?”  
  
“Then you'd have to pay for it,” Baekhyun answers, leaving his spot behind the counter to straighten the tea bag display on the bar opposite them.  
  
“I don't have to pay for the drink?” Chanyeol asks, following the other boy to the teas, picking one out of it's container and smelling the package. It smells like oranges, Chanyeol doesn't like it; Baekhyun smells like coffee and vanilla.  
  
“You already payed for the drink,” Baekhyun answers, pulling the teabag from Chanyeol's fingers and stuffing it back into it's jar.  
  
“Aww,” Chanyeol whines, pushing himself into Baekhyun's space until Baekhyun retreats behind the counter. “That was for you to get a drink.”  
  
“I told you, I get them free, you loser.”  
  
“Then you should have put it in the tip jar,” Chanyeol says.  
  
“You weren't around to reap the benefits,” Baekhyun answers, “those don't stay overnight, you know? Besides, it's not like I have coerce you to put money in there anyway.”  
  
“Oh yeah, speaking of,” Chanyeol pushes his drink back into Baekhyun's hands, “hold this for me.” He pulls his wallet out and drags out 5000 won to put in the tip jar. “Wouldn't want you to talk for free. You work hard for your money.”  
  
Baekhyun groans and tries to hand Chanyeol back his drink.  
  
“Nope!” Chanyeol says. “That drink is supposed to be for you. You have to take at least one drink or I won't leave,” he threatens.  
  
Baekhyun hurries to take a drink, making a face when the hot latte burns his tongue, then pushes the drink back at Chanyeol. “There,” he says, “now make good on your promise, shoo. I have to get some actual work done.”  
  
Chanyeol grins, then takes a drink himself. “Yes,” he laughs, ignoring Baekhyun's confused look, “indirect kiss!” Chanyeol bounds out of the door, Baekhyun's bright red blush the last image in his head.  
  


* * *

  
  
His next work day, and by extension his next coffee day, is Monday. He's about to sign out at work when Suho hurries in behind him.  
  
“I'm glad I caught you!” Suho says, in his ' _I'm a cool boss_ ' voice and Chanyeol wants to cry. “Yixing just called in. He has the flu and I don't have time to call in Jongdae. Could you cover this next shift?”  
  
Chanyeol stills his hand right by his sign in sheet. “I kind of have a-” he starts, but he realizes that he doesn't really have a date, no matter how hard he tried to flirt his way into one. “Yeah, I can cover it.”  
  
“You're fantastic,” Suho says, and there really is relief on his face, so Chanyeol can't bring himself to curse his boss. Much.  
  
Chanyeol gets to leave at seven, Suho shooing him when he tries to lock up, with a “You covered a shift on no notice, it's the least I can do. I'm a boss, not a slave driver.” And maybe Suho is kind of a cool boss. Not that Chanyeol would ever admit it out loud.  
  
Chanyeol runs the whole way to EXO and nearly cries for the second time that day when he sees the closed sign turned around in the window. He turns his back and slumps against the door, pushes his hands into his hair and sighs. He takes everything nice he ever thought about Suho back.  
  
Chanyeol is about to push himself off of the door and go home to wallow in his own self-pity in private when he's suddenly falling the other way as the door is pulled open. From his spot on the floor he looks up to see Sehun staring down at him, his face bored and annoyed and amused all at the same time.  
  
“You were getting kind of pitiful,” he says, poking at Chanyeol's ribs with the tip of his shoe, “it's already dark outside, no need to darken our doorstep too.”  
  
“Um,” Chanyeol says, eloquently.  
  
“Get up,” Sehun says, poking him again, “I just cleaned that floor.”  
  
“You didn't-” Jongin starts, but Sehun just holds a hand up to interrupt him.  
  
“We haven't even covered the syrups, yet,” Sehun says, ignoring Jongin's indignant flailing. “You could probably get him to make you a cup still."  
  
“Oh Sehun,” Chanyeol says as he stands up, putting his hands on either side of Sehun's face, “I could kiss you.”  
  
Sehun pushes him away with a hand on his face. “I charge so much more for that than you'd be able to fit in any tip jar,” Sehun says.  
  
“Baekhyun!” He calls, “Baekhyun I'm late! Will you ever be able to forgive me?”  
  
Baekhyun comes rushing from the back room looking kind of pouty but mostly confused. “We're closed,” he says, both of his eyebrows trying to take up residence in the middle of his forehead, “what are you- how did you?” He sees Sehun locking the door again and he frowns.  
  
“I had to work late,” Chanyeol whines, leaning into Baekhyun's space, “I had to work late and I didn't even have any of your coffee to keep me awake.”  
  
“You don't drink coffee,” Baekhyun huffs, “you drink lattes with extra syrup. As if you need it.”  
  
“Aww,” Chanyeol says, “you missed me.”  
  
“I didn't miss you,” Baekhyun denies, “it was just weird, you messed up my schedule.”  
  
“You didn't take your break just in case he came in,” Sehun calls from where he had perched on a table on the far wall.  
  
“You're a dirty traitor and I'm going to get you fired,” Baekhyun moans. Sehun scoffs.  
  
Chanyeol smiles his biggest, most charming smile at Baekhyun. “If you didn't take your break, let's have one together,” he says pulling at Baekhyun's wrist as he tries to hide behind the counter. “Sehun said you hadn't put away everything for making drinks, yet. Let me buy you a coffee.”  
  
“Latte,” Baekhyun corrects, then “I get them for free!” then “I'm working! I can't just stop closing up.”  
  
“Yes you can,” and it's Jongin that says that, as he comes up behind Chanyeol and grabs Baekhyun's wrist alongside Chanyeol; together they pull him back from behind the counter. “You didn't take your break today. Those are required by law, you know. Just think of what Kris-hyung would say.”  
  
Baekhyun makes a noise that sounds like a car is dying in his throat. It's very pretty.  
  
“Well who's going to make the drinks?” Baekhyun asks, trying to situate himself behind the counter again, his face going all different shades of red.  
  
“I will,” Jongin answers, pushing him back again. “You know I can. Kris-hyung even says he may promote me to barista soon.”  
  
“Fine,” Baekhyun sighs, then he's the one dragging Chanyeol around, to a table in the far corner. Chanyeol lets himself be led happily, but his face falls when Baekhyun sighs again.  
  
“I-” Chanyeol cuts himself off. He'd never actually considered that maybe Baekhyun didn't want to be spending all of this time with him. Maybe he just put up with Chanyeol because it was a part of his job. Chanyeol felt like a little bit of a dick. “I'm sorry,” he says, and Baekhyun's eyes jerk to his in surprise. “I just wanted to see you. If you don't want to have a drink with me, that's fine. I could-” he make to get up.  
  
“Sit down, you idiot,” Baekhyun says. Chanyeol sits. “I want to have a drink,” he continues and just as quickly as Chanyeol's smile had fallen, it returns to his face. “Just, give me warning next time! My whole schedule’s been off because of you and then you come in after closing and you're really very distracting, you know?” Baekhyun purses his lips hurriedly right after saying that, like he hadn't intended for it to come out.  
  
“Distracting?” Chanyeol asks, smiling hard enough that he can start to feel his cheeks getting sore.  
  
“Shut up,” Baekhyun says, and almost slumps in relief when Jongin sets two drinks in front of them.  
  
“Look, Baekhyunni!” Chanyeol says, “Jongin drew hearts in them!”  
  
Baekhyun groans.  
  
Chanyeol takes a drink of his latte; good, but not Baekhyun good. Not that he'd ever tell Jongin that, the kid looks like he'd have a very tragic sad face. “I am sorry,” he says finally, “about messing with your schedule. I'd have texted to let you know but your tip jar doesn't say how much it is for a phone number.”  
  
Baekhyun stills, drink halfway to his mouth, before sitting it down slowly. His face is red.  “I could probably give you this one for free,” he finally says. “Just don't go around bragging about it.”  
  
Chanyeol cheers, then, on a surge of adrenaline, reaches across the table to pull Baekhyun to him by the neck and kiss him. Baekhyun's little sigh against his mouth is enough to make him ignore the 'finally' that comes from Sehun's general direction.  
  
Chanyeol pulls back and smiles at Baekhyun, who actually smiles right back and him. The way his eyes crinkle make Chanyeol's stomach do little flips. “You should do that more often,” Chanyeol says, moving his hand from Baekhyun's neck to his cheek, “you look pretty.”  
  
Baekhyun hurriedly flattens his mouth into a straight line, but his eyes are still mirthful, and he brinks his latte to his lips to hide the smile that keeps trying to fight it's way back onto his face.  
  
“So,” Chanyeol asks, “how much of a tip do I need to get you to be my boyfriend?”  
  
Baekhyun chokes on his drink.


End file.
